Barry Baker

Loves journalism, is not a journalist. Loves politics, is not a politician. Loves the media, is not a medium. Barry is committed to helping the world become a more interesting place with Power of Opinion.

Mr. Flaherty - who playfully evoked the ghost of Prime Minister Lester Pearson to illustrate how far the current motley crew of Liberals have strayed since that Nobel laureate ran his own minority governments in the sixties - increased the basic personal exemption by 13.5% over the next 14 months, including a $700 increase retroactive to the beginning of this year. He further proposed reductions in the GST rate (to 5%) effective January 1 2008, and in the corporate tax rate to 15% by 2012. The finance minister also proposed to pay down the debt by $10 billion, but the key element of course is Mr. Flaherty's populist and fiscally responsible initiative to start putting taxpayer dollars back into our pockets.

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion says he won't bring the government down over the proposals, which in my opinion reflects quite well on the man. By embracing political discomfort now in the hopes of experiencing more favourable political conditions in the future, Dion is demonstrating the fundamental political skill; timing. However, his support of the mini-budget will also force Dion to accept delivery of a populist time-bomb that will surely make his spring no less disagreeable than the current fall session.

To kick off 2008, the GST cut will put Canadians in a good mood just as Christmas bills start showing up. Next,the
retroactive change to the basic personal exemption will most likely
result in richer tax refund cheques when Canadians submit their 2007
tax returns. Once average Canadians have actually experienced these relatively immediate and very visible rewards, the Conservatives will be able to communicate more aggressively and persuasively regarding the benefits of small vs. big government without coming across as having a "hidden agenda".

Much like the Liberal's own commitment to Kyoto a couple of years ago, the Conservatives are now salting the earth for the official opposition, albeit with tax cuts rather than green rhetoric. But while the Conservatives weathered the fuss over Kyoto with surprising ease, it won't be so easy for the Liberals to to talk about new spending programs once Canadians receive that spring refund cheque and start developing expectations for more of the same in the future. Now the question on Canadians' minds will be, "If Harper can afford to give us back that much dough, what the hell were the Liberals doing with it in the first place". If Messrs. Harper and Flaherty can shift the focus that far, Mr. Dion and company will find it increasingly difficult to justify an approach via which the Liberals have grown government and exerted their will not only in the lives of citizens, but also in areas of provincial constitutional authority, through spending and henceforth, taxation.

To share your thoughts with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers about the fiscal update specifically or politics generally, click on "Comments" (below).

Mr. Flaherty - who playfully evoked the ghost of Prime Minister Lester Pearson to illustrate how far the current motley crew of Liberals have strayed since that Nobel laureate ran his own minority governments in the sixties - increased the basic personal exemption by 13.5% over the next 14 months, including a $700 increase retroactive to the beginning of this year. He further proposed reductions in the GST rate (to 5%) effective January 1 2008, and in the corporate tax rate to 15% by 2012. The finance minister also proposed to pay down the debt by $10 billion, but the key element of course is Mr. Flaherty's populist and fiscally responsible initiative to start putting taxpayer dollars back into our pockets.

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion says he won't bring the government down over the proposals, which in my opinion reflects quite well on the man. By embracing political discomfort now in the hopes of experiencing more favourable political conditions in the future, Dion is demonstrating the fundamental political skill; timing. However, his support of the mini-budget will also force Dion to accept delivery of a populist time-bomb that will surely make his spring no less disagreeable than the current fall session.

To kick off 2008, the GST cut will put Canadians in a good mood just as Christmas bills start showing up. Next,the
retroactive change to the basic personal exemption will most likely
result in richer tax refund cheques when Canadians submit their 2007
tax returns. Once average Canadians have actually experienced these relatively immediate and very visible rewards, the Conservatives will be able to communicate more aggressively and persuasively regarding the benefits of small vs. big government without coming across as having a "hidden agenda".

Much like the Liberal's own commitment to Kyoto a couple of years ago, the Conservatives are now salting the earth for the official opposition, albeit with tax cuts rather than green rhetoric. But while the Conservatives weathered the fuss over Kyoto with surprising ease, it won't be so easy for the Liberals to to talk about new spending programs once Canadians receive that spring refund cheque and start developing expectations for more of the same in the future. Now the question on Canadians' minds will be, "If Harper can afford to give us back that much dough, what the hell were the Liberals doing with it in the first place". If Messrs. Harper and Flaherty can shift the focus that far, Mr. Dion and company will find it increasingly difficult to justify an approach via which the Liberals have grown government and exerted their will not only in the lives of citizens, but also in areas of provincial constitutional authority, through spending and henceforth, taxation.

To share your thoughts with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers about the fiscal update specifically or politics generally, click on "Comments" (below).